Massachusetts

General Laws of Massachusetts

Chapter 112: Section 12I. Abortion or sterilization procedures; refusal of
hospital or health facility staff members or employees to participate.

Section 12I. A physician or any other person who is a member of or associated
with the medical staff of a hospital or other health facility or any employee of
a hospital or other health facility in which an abortion or any sterilization
procedure is scheduled and who shall state in writing an objection to such
abortion or sterilization procedure on moral or religious grounds, shall not be
required to participate in the medical procedures which result in such abortion
or sterilization, and the refusal of any such person to participate therein
shall not form the basis for any claim of damages on account of such refusal or
for any disciplinary or recriminatory action against such person. The refusal of
any person who has made application to a medical, premedical, nursing, social
work, or psychology program in the commonwealth to agree to counsel, suggest,
recommend, assist, or in any way participate in the performance of an abortion
or sterilization contrary to his religious beliefs or moral convictions shall
not form the basis for any discriminatory action against such person.
Conscientious objection to abortion shall not be grounds for dismissal,
suspension, demotion, failure to promote, discrimination in hiring, withholding
of pay or refusal to grant financial assistance under any state aided project,
or used in any way to the detriment of the individual in any hospital, clinic,
medical, premedical, nursing, social work, or psychology school or state aided
program or institution which is supported in whole or in part by the
commonwealth.

Chapter 272: Section 21B. Privately controlled hospital or health facility
not required to perform abortion or sterilization procedures, or to furnish
contraceptive devices or information or family planning services.

Section 21B. No privately controlled hospital or other health facility shall be
required to admit any patient for the purpose of performing an abortion,
performing any sterilization procedure, or receiving contraceptive devices or
information.

No privately controlled hospital or other privately controlled health facility
shall be required to permit any patient to have an abortion, or any
sterilization procedure performed in said hospital or other health facility, or
to furnish contraceptive devices or information to such patient, nor shall such
a hospital or other health facility be required to furnish any family planning
services within or through said hospital or other health facility or to make
referrals to any other hospital or health facility for such services when said
services or referrals are contrary to the religious or moral principles of said
hospital or said health facility as expressed in its charter, by-laws or code of
ethics, or vote of its governing body.

Any such hospital or other health facility exercising the rights granted in this
section shall not on account of the exercise thereof, be disciplined or
discriminated against in any manner or suffer any adverse determination by any
person, firm, corporation, or other entity, including but in no way limited to
any political subdivision, board, commission, department, authority, or agency
of the commonwealth.